Rheostatics: Difference between revisions

| label = [[Intrepid Records (Canada)|Intrepid]], [[Sire Records|Sire]], [[DROG Records|DROG]], Perimeter, [[True North Records|True North]], [[Zunior]], [[Six Shooter Records|Six Shooter]]

Although they had only one [[Top 40]] hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands,<ref name="troubadour">{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/article/654220|title=Dave Bidini: Our troubadour of hockey, the hinterlands and sweet home Canada|last=Kelly|first=Cathal|date=June 21, 2009|work=Toronto Star|accessdateaccess-date=June 24, 2009}}</ref> a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been described both as iconic and iconoclastic.<ref name=swansong>[[Ben Rayner|Rayner, Ben]]. "[https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/196682 Rheostatics' swan song]". ''[[The Toronto Star]]''. 2007-03-29. Retrieved November 23, 2010.</ref> In particular, two of the band's albums, ''[[Whale Music (album)|Whale Music]]'' and ''[[Melville (album)|Melville]]'', have been cited in numerous critical and listener polls as among the best Canadian albums ever recorded.

In 1991, the band signed to the independent label [[Intrepid Records (Canada)|Intrepid Records]], and released ''[[Melville (album)|Melville]]'' that year.<ref name=blamecanada /> The single "Record Body Count" garnered them significant airplay on radio and [[MuchMusic]]. The album also featured an enigmatic cover of [[Gordon Lightfoot]]'s "[[The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald]]".

The following year, the band signed to [[Sire Records]] and released ''[[Whale Music (album)|Whale Music]]'', which was inspired by [[Paul Quarrington]]'s award-winning novel ''[[Whale Music (novel)|Whale Music]]''.<ref name=blamecanada /> Quarrington himself was so impressed by ''Whale Music''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s quirky pop—which was perfectly suited to a novel about a quirky, reclusive pop genius liberally based on [[Brian Wilson]]—that he chose the band to compose the soundtrack to the film version of his novel. ''[[Music from the Motion Picture Whale Music]]'' was released in 1994, putting the band in the odd position of having two almost identically-titled albums in its catalogue.

Clark was replaced by [[Don Kerr]], whose first performance with the Rheostatics was an unannounced show at the [[Horseshoe Tavern]] in the springwinter of 1995.<ref name=blamecanada /> Also in 1995, the band first toured with [[The Tragically Hip]] as part of the [[Another Roadside Attraction (festival)|Another Roadside Attraction]] festival.

In 1997, the band released ''[[Double Live (Rheostatics album)|Double Live]]'', a live album documenting the band in a variety of settings, from small in-store sessions to the large arenas of their tour with The Tragically Hip. The album was very successful on the campus radio charts and is amongst fans' favorites discs.<ref name=blamecanada />

In 2001, Rheostatics released ''[[Night of the Shooting Stars]]'' on Perimeter Records.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20011122162746/http://chartattack.com:80/DAMN/2001/10/2301.cfm "CD REVIEWS: Bush, Headstones, Incubus, Rheostatics and many more"]}}. ''Chart Attack'', October 23, 2001 By: Debbie Bento</ref> Though Kerr plays on the album, it was announced prior to its release that he would be departing from the band.<ref name=blamecanada/> The reasons given were his desire to focus on his work at Gas Station Recording Studios in Toronto, as well as his role in [[Ron Sexsmith]]'s group.<ref>Carruthers, Sean. [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r562336|pure_url=yes}} Review of Night of the Shooting Stars]. ''allmusic.com''. Retrieved March 15, 2010.</ref> Kerr was replaced by Wojewoda.<ref name=blamecanada />

In late 2001, the band revived their tradition of a week's club residency, formerly known as "Green Sprouts Music Week", and played 11 straight evenings at Toronto's [[Horseshoe Tavern]].<ref name=blamecanada /> Performances from these shows were included on their sole DVD release, 2003's ''Maple Serum: Rheostatics Live at the Horseshoe Tavern''. The event was dubbed the "Fall Nationals" and was repeated for the next three years. Performances from the 2004 Fall Nationals make up the album ''[[Calling Out the Chords, Vol. 1]]'', released in 2005.

Their tenth and final studio album, ''[[2067 (album)|2067]]'', was released in the fall of 2004. Their final studio release was an eponymous, digital-format track of the song "Pornography", released in late 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.puretracks.com/catalog/details.aspx?pid=umg_00075021018327_MP3 |title=ArchivedWelcome copyto nginx |accessdateaccess-date=2010-04-14 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://archive.istoday/20120913052807/http://www.puretracks.com/catalog/details.aspx?pid=umg_00075021018327_MP3 |archivedatearchive-date=September 13, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Both were put out by [[True North Records]].

Two live albums followed in 2005, ''[[The Whale Music Concert, 1992]]'' and the aforementioned ''Calling Out the Chords, Vol. 1'', the latter being released in digital format only.

On March 30, 2012, the fifth anniversary of the group's final show at Massey Hall, a live album, ''[[Green Sprouts Music Week 1993]]'' was released. The album is a distillation and resequencing of material drawn from the band's first Green Sprouts Music Week, held from April 12 to 18, 1993 at Ultrasound Showbar in Toronto. Two singles, live versions of "Record Body Count" and "Woodstuck", were released in digital format and also sent to radio stations.

===Breakup and Finalfinal show===

On March 16, 2007, Canadian web label [[Zunior]] released a Rheostatics tribute album, ''[[The Secret Sessions]]'', which had not been publicized in advance so that it would be a surprise for the band.<ref>Jill Wilson, "The Secret Sessions: Rheostatics Tribute". ''[[Winnipeg Free Press]]'', April 28, 2007.</ref>

On October 24, 2009, the band reunited to perform at an event put on by Toronto's International Festival of Authors and Humber College, produced by Judith Keenan of BookShorts, honouring [[Paul Quarrington]], shortly after the late author had publicized his diagnosis with inoperable lung cancer.<ref>[http://www.chartattack.com/news/75725/rheostatics-reuniting-for-one-off-performance "Rheostatics Reuniting For One-Off Performance"] {{webarchiveusurped|url1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100228073859/http://www.chartattack.com/news/75725/rheostatics-reuniting-for-one-off-performance |date=February"Rheostatics 28,Reuniting 2010For One-Off Performance"]}}. ''[[Chart (magazine)|Chart]]'', October 16, 2009.</ref> The former members who had performed were Bidini, Clark, Hearn, Kerr, Tielli and Vesely. They performed two songs: "Claire" followed by "Dope Fiends and Boozehounds". Bidini also hosted the entire event.<ref>[httphttps://www.cbc.ca/artsnews/books/story/2009/10/25entertainment/paul-quarrington-ifoahonoured-at-festival-of-authors-tribute1.html844832 "Paul Quarrington honoured at Festival of Authors"]. [[CBC News]], September 25, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2010.</ref>

In June 2018, Rheostatics started recording sessions for a new album,. the''[[Here firstCome albumthe ofWolves]]'' originalwas materialreleased inon 14September years.6, 2019. It is expectedtheir totwelfth bealbum releasedand their first album of original material in September14 2019years.

The band's style was highly eclectic, feeding off the creative cross-pollination of each member's distinct musical style, and was marked by a willingness to experiment with just about any musical idea. Tielli's material tended toward [[progressive rock]] and [[folk rock]], Bidini brought quirky humour and [[New wave music|new wave]] influences, Vesely pursued a relatively mainstream pop-rock orientation which meant that his songs (including both "Claire" and "Bad Time to Be Poor") garnered nearly all of the band's radio airplay, and Clark's songs were [[punk rock|punk]]-flavoured.

In a 1996 reader poll published by ''[[Chart (magazine)|Chart]]'' to determine the 100 best Canadian albums, ''Whale Music'' placed fifth, behind only [[Neil Young]], [[Joni Mitchell]], [[The Tragically Hip]] and [[Sloan (band)|Sloan]]. Their album ''Melville'' placed sixteenth. When the magazine conducted a follow -up poll in 2000, ''Whale Music'' placed fourth and ''Melville'' placed fifth. In the 2005 poll, ''Whale Music'' placed tenth, becoming one of six albums to place in the top ten all three times, and ''Melville'' placed 44th. In all of the magazine's three polls, [[Neil Young]] is the only other artist to have achieved the distinction of placing two albums in the top five in the same year.

Australian novelist [[Patrick Holland (author)|Patrick Holland]] claimed the 'gas station' scene from his novel ''The Mary Smokes Boys'' was inspired by ''Whale Music'''s 'Self Serve Gas Station'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patrickholland.com.au/interviews.html |title=ArchivedInterviews copy- Patrick Holland's Writing |accessdateaccess-date=2012-12-09 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311221937/http://www.patrickholland.com.au/interviews.html |archivedatearchive-date=March 11, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

*''Brave[[Here NewCome Wavesthe SessionWolves]]'', 20172019

*''[[The Whale Music Concert, 1992]]'', 2005

*''[[Calling Out the Chords, Vol. 1]]'', 2005

*''[[Green Sprouts Music Week 1993]]'', 2012